Question-voting mechanism.



G. H. OGUMPAUGH. QUESTION VOTING MBCHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12, i904.

Gtk/cram? 2 SHEETS-SHEET l r Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Mk? au 00a/ffy@ @Mg/ f/v/Ucneoow o. H. OGUMPAUGH. AQUESTION VOTING MECHANISM.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR.12,1904. 947,497.

Patented Jan.25, 1910.

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lnmnmurm Cri UNTTED STATES PATENT Gli-FTCQ CHARLES H. OCUMPAUGH, OF RGCHESTER, NEW YORK.

QUESTION-VOTING MECHANSll/I.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 25, 1910.

Original application filed December *7, 1903, Serial No. 184,18*?. Divided. and this application tiled March 12, 1901i. Serial No. 197,835.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cfr-Lianne H. Ocurrixxnon, a resident of Rochester, in the county ot Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in Question-Voting li/Iechanism, and l do hereby declare the following to be a itull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to the so-called question voting mechanism such as indicated in my application iiled Dec. 7, 1903 and numbered 184,187 ot which the prese-nt is a division, and its objects are to provide simple,

etiicient and certainly-acting devices for indicating and recording votes pro or con relative to any proposition submitted.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described. and pointed out.

in the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a partial perspective of a voting machine showing keys for question voting arranged in pairs; Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation, the back of the casing being removed, a resetting plate broken away in part and question keys sectioned; Fig. 3 is a broken horizontal section showing resetting devices; Fig. 4lis a partial vertical section showing otiicial lockout devices and a resetting b ar; Fig. 5 is a partial horizontal section taken above an indicator and register.

Numeral l denotes the machine case and 2. its irontplate which is provided with a series of slots 4- to permit the movement therein ot indicators Preferably a pair of indicators are separately movable in each slot though this is not essential.

3 denotes a card or plate holder tor any suitable inscription.

Rach indicator is fixed to a casing 1G holding a register, which casing is supported by the iront plate and by a ledge 3Q" on a fixed har 32X. 35 also denotes a fixed bar.

Sel indicates a pawl bar provided with pawls 36 and inovably supported in the register case. It carries a pin 3S which is entered in the groove of a bar whenever the key or indicator 3y moved to the right in a slot at thereby moving the register case and all parts connected with it. The bar 34; is subsequently moved rearwardly to actuate a register wheel by the outgoing voter by means ot mechanism, which as it forms no part oi' the present improvement need not be particularly described herein. Tt comprises two suspended bars 32 and 34X which are simultaneously moved rearwardly, bar 32 actuating the register as stated and bar 84X moving out of the path oit pin 38 in its rearward movement, to be in readiness to act as a resetting bar, the resetting mechanism not being further described in this division of lthe application.

QG indicates a resetting bar to restore the key and connected parts to the situation represented in Figs. l and 5 by means ot mechanism actuated by the outgoing voter and which will be further explained. Each key is immediately iixe'd to an interlocking wedge 59 and the wedges are arranged in pairs and have thin portions 59X normally situated and movable in an opening in a iXed vertical bar 62, said opening being of such sir/.e that the thick part ot one wedge and the thin part of another will fill it and prevent the simultaneous insertion of the thick parts of both, thereby preventing the actuation of two keys at the same time. The bar 62 may consist oit members connected by pins or abutments 62X between which the wedges are movable as stated.

The resetting mechanism tor the question indicators comprises bar 96 and also oomprises an arm 97 movably supported by a short shaft 90 actuated by a bar 97x operatively connected to an arm 9W of a bell crank fixed on an oscillating shaft 77X. The other crank arm 95" carries a pin traveling in a. groove 97W in a cam 73X fixed on a sha-tt 77 actuated by the outgoing voter by means of mechanism not shown.

A denotes an oiiicial lockout indicator bar for a pair of question votes. The indicater has a handle exterior to the machine case and inclosed in a hinged cover B having a lock C. There is an indeiinite number oi? these bars corresponding to the number of pairs of keys and each bar has a stud Ax which can be moved between the thickened portions oi: the interlocking wedge 59 to so spread them that the thickened portion ot neither wedge 59 can be inserted in the opening in the vertical bar G2, thus locking the pair of question indicators against movement. The cover B, under control of oilicials, prevents meddling with the lockout.

The'oiiicial lockout for the question vote is reset by a bar 85 adapted to engage the end 85X of the lockout bar A. Said bar 85 actuated by arms 83X of a shaft Sil having an arm 88 connected by a link SQ to a bar SO sliding in a bearing 81, and having its opposite end pivoted to an arm T0 fixed to a shaft 71. This shaft is suitably rocked by the outgoing voter by means ot' an arm 72 loosely connected to a cam pin bar 7G having a pin T3 traveling in a concentric course TS of a disk T5 (the actuating parts being moved by the ingoing voter by mechanism not shoivn). ln this movement of shaft TT and cam 'T5 said cam is inoperative and any lockout that may have been set by an olticial is undisturbed. The said shaft and its disk 75 are returned by the outgoing voter. but at such time the pin 73 is in the eccentric course or groove '79, which causes the bar 85X to reciprocate and reset any lockout that may have been actuated, and it is itself ieset.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as nevv and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination of a pair ot adjacent interlocking` indicators, with a bar having an opening to receive both indicators and to permit operation of either one ot them to the exclusion of the other, and a single movable part operating to change the relative dimensions of said opening and the space occupied by the indicators in the opening to lock out both indicators when desired.

Q. ln a voting machine, a pair of indicators connected to interlocking Wedges normally in contact and movable in parallel lines, abutments whereby each indicator Wedge may interlock the other, and a device having a single part engaging' both Wedges to etiect a lockout.,

3. ln a voting machine, a pair of indicators connected to interlocking Wedges normally in contact and movable in parallel lines, abutments whereby each indicator Wedge may interlock the other, and a device having' a single part engaging both Wedges to eilect a lockout said part being situated between the wedges.

il. ln a voting machine, a series of question indicators arranged in interlocking pairs. means for locking both against movement, said means consisting of one lockout indicator for each pair of question indicators, and a cover common to two or more ot that class of indicators.

ln a voting machine, a pair of interlocking question indicators, either of which when actuated locks the other against actuation, one attached to a left and the other to a right hand interlocking part, and a third interlocking part of a different class to interlock with both ot' the pair.

6. In a voting machine, a pair of indicator Wedges either Wedge being movable to lock the other, and a single lockout device tor the pair ot' indicator wedges, said lockout device being` betiveen and adapted to lock out both keys of the pair.

T. ln a voting machine, pairs of indicators each indicator having a Wedge and either of a pair being movable to lock out the other, and a single lockout device for each pair, said lockout device being between the Wedges and adapted to lock out both keys oli the pair, and a resetting bar common to the lockout devices.

S. ln a voting machine, a series ot' pairs ot' question indicators, cach indicator ot each pair being movable to voted position, the other remaining in unvoted position, a

, series ot' lockout devicesl connn'ising` ylockout indicators, one for each pair of question indicators, each lockout device operating on its pair ot' question indicators to prevent voting movement ot either indicator, resetting bars in cooperating relation to operated lockout devices, means t'or moving said resetting bars to reset operated lockout devices, other resetting bars in cooperative relation to operated question indicators. and means tor moving the latter bars to reset either question indicator ot any pair or oi all pairs left in voted position.

9. ln a voting machine, a series ot pairs otl question indicators. each indicator of each pair being movable to voted position, the other remaiuiilg in unvoted position, a series of lockout devices con'q'nising lockout indicators, one for cach pair ot question indicators, each lockout device operating on its pair of question indicators to prevent voting movement ot' either indicator, a cover common to tivo or more of said lockout indicators. and a lock for said cover.

10. In a voting machine, a series of pairs of question indicators, each indicator of each pair being movable to voted position, the other remaining in unvoted position, a series ot lockout devices comprising lockout indicators, one for each pair of question indicators, each lockout device operating on its pair of question indicators to prevent voting movement ot either indicator', a resetting bar common to several lockout indicators, and a part of each lockout indicator put in cooperative relation to the lockout resetting bar When the lockout indicator is operated.

ll. In a voting machine, the combination of a bar provided with a pair of abutments, a pair of contiguous indicator wedges extending into the opening between said abutments and adapted to interlock, and a. lockout device appropriated exclusively to said pair of Wedges.

12. ln a voting machine, the combination ot' indicators, interlocking Wedges, one for each indicator, movable from and toward each other, a pair of abutments exclusively appropriated to said Wedges, and a lockout device adapted to spread the wedges, said l cators, two interlocking wedges pivotally wedges being normally nearest together and Atree to move between said abutments.

13. In a` voting machine, the combination of indicators arranged .in pairs, an interlocking wedge tor each indicator movable trom and toward each other, said wedges when in one position being tree to move to voted position, and when in the other position being locked against movement to voted position.

lil- In a voting machine, a series otl question indicators arranged in pairs and having a sliding movement, the movement of one of a pair of indicators locking the movement ol' the other, a part iixed to and movable with each indicator, and contiguous interlocking parts to effect the said interlocking, a register fixed to each indicator, either indicator after having been moved being capable of being reset to normal position without its corresponding register being actuated.

15. The indicators, the registers for question voting Xed to the indicators, and an interlocking wedge fixed to each indicator, the registers and wedges being connected to and immediately movable with the indicators.

1G. rflic indicators, the registers for question voting fixed to the indicators, an interlocking' wedge to each indicator, the registers and wedges being connected to and immediately movable with the indicators, and resetting mechanism comprising a part moved by the voter in approaching the face of the machine.

17. A register for voting, a pair olf indiconnected one to each indicator and movable therewith, abutments having a predeter-l mined space between them larger than the space normally7 occupied by said wedges, an oliicial lockout device operation of which decreases the difference between the size of the space intermediate the abutments and the space occupied by the indicators to prevent operation of either indicator and wedge.

18. The registers for question voting, a pair of indicators, two interlocking wedges pivotally connected one to each indicator and movable therewith, and an official lockout device adapted to lock out said pair of indicators said device comprising a stud to be moved between the wedges.

19. The registers for question voting, indicators, interlocking Wedges pivotally connected one to each indicator, an oicial lockout device, and a cover to prevent meddling with the lockout.

20. The registers for question voting, indicators connected to the registers, interlocking wedges pivotally supported and mediately connected to the registers, resetting' mechanism, and means for immediately returning said mechanism to its normal position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence oit two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. OCUMPAUGH.

Witnesses A. M. ZIMMER, A. GREENWOOD. 

